Re: Interesting comparison of Portuguese Water Dogs vs. PF'ers

[Guest guest]

Bruce, what percentage of use to you think might still be brreding? Jack79/IPF - UIP/dx06/05 Maine

To: Breathe-Support Sent: Monday, April 13, 2009 9:01:01 AMSubject: Interesting comparison of Portuguese Water Dogs vs. PF'ers

I found it interesting as we're trying to get a database established tocapture information on our disease, that Portuguese Water Dogs alreadyhave one.Connected to that the Portuguese Water Dog Club of America has a veryprogressive health program. For instance, Storage Disease (GM1) has beenvirtually eliminated. First carriers were identified through DNAtesting. Because it takes two carriers to transfer the disease to ababy, if there were two then breeding wasn't done between them. Now,there are fewer than 20 remaining carriers and have been no affectedpuppies since August 1999 of the over 1200 tested. Why am I sharing thisspecific genetic disease. Its the same way Cystic Fibrosis, the numberone genetic disease in humans works. No carriers, no cystic fibrosis.One carrier, no cystic fibrosis but perhaps a carrier. Two carriers, 25%probability of cystic fibrosis. Cystic Fibrosis totally preventable

bygenetic testing.There are nine active committees for the most active diseases and formany testing has been implemented prior to breeding. So two points,first another crusade as to why we aren't eliminating Cystic Fibrosisand other detectable genetic diseases such as the forms of Autism causedby Fragile X which can be genetically tested for. Second, the importanceof databases and the need for one in PF. Often when you build a databaseyou have no idea what you're going to find. It's when it's populatedthat some things come to light. Things which we partially know andthings we don't at all. Things such as connections between GERD andspecific forms of PF and Autoimmune and Hypothyroidism and Occupationalexposures and home environment exposures and Depression and markers thatmay not have been looked at yet on top of those being studied.